Nightmare at Dawn - Series 1: The Night of Hunting Games

In a secluded mountain village, the moonlight bathed the landscape in a silvery glow, casting ethereal light on the boy's path and the sprawling fields. The clarity of the night offered a rare glimpse into a world untouched by urban chaos. The boy lifted his gaze to the heavens, which unfolded like a breathtaking masterpiece. The brilliance of the Milky Way, fainted by the soft glow of moonlight, spread like a gentle whisper from the earth to the farthest reaches of the cosmos.

Under this hushed sky, the silhouette of dark mountains loomed, entwined with the primeval forest and defined by a winding river that cut through the landscape like a jade thread. The oppressive silence made the earth seem cloaked in a timeless, almost eerie stillness, heightening the sense of mystery in the air.

The sounds of birds and beasts had ceased, and even the natural world seemed to sense the unusual calm, remaining mute except for the faint rustle of leaves stirred by a gentle breeze.

"This is strange," said A-Lai, the boy with big eyes, as he squinted. Suddenly, fragments of daytime rumors flashed through his mind. The village elders had spoken of recent celestial anomalies, heralding a grand change that foretold impending misfortune.

Out of nowhere, a few stars in the distant sky began to flicker with increasing frequency. Their light grew more vibrant and seemed to move in a pattern, gradually forming a shape. A-Lai's eyes widened, shining like a gem in the dark.

At first, it was a simple triangle, which slowly evolved into pentagrams and hexagrams. The stars appeared to be intentionally coalescing.

Before long, the number of stars increased, resembling a constellation shaped like... like a sailing ship.

A-Lai rubbed his eyes in disbelief, his breath quickening."Is that… a ship woven from the stars?" he whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of wonder and fear. As if in response to his question, the leaf-sized starship began to soar towards the darkened sky, transforming into a more detailed boat the size of a book.

"Oh, more stars are coming!" A-Lai muttered to himself."Wow, it's getting bigger!"A-Lai's emotions were a mix of wonder and a touch of fear, as if the ship was approaching him from the distant heavens.

Seconds later, it grew into a starship the size of a house, with visible lights in the portholes and a figure moving inside.

"How fast it's moving! It really is a ship!" A-Lai exclaimed, his face flushed with excitement."Is it a UFO?...What should I do if it finds me?...Is it here to pick me up?...I haven't even attended the school bonfire party yet!" His thoughts raced uncontrollably.

The ship seemed to traverse the universe at an astonishing speed, drawing closer with an unbelievable velocity.

Moments later, his mouth fell open in shock as a colossal warship appeared in the void before him. It was as if an ant were facing a mammoth, and the mammoth was lifting its massive foot to step on him.

Instinctively, A-Lai covered his mouth with his hand as the warship drew nearer, its advance slow but the sense of oppression increasing a hundredfold. With a jolt, A-Lai collapsed to the ground, his heart pounding in his chest. But he quickly gritted his teeth and stood up,"I'm a man! Nothing can scare me! I'm not afraid of you!"

A-Lai squared his shoulders, recalling his master's words,"A man can be defeated, but never frightened!"

Though the transformation occurred in less than a minute, it felt as if time had stopped.

Unsure if it was a hallucination, A-Lai felt the massive starship shudder before vanishing in an instant.

Unsure of how much time had passed, he heard the familiar sounds of wind rustling through the leaves and the croaking of frogs, pulling him back to reality. As he searched the dark sky for the terrifying presence, the stars continued to hang silently in the black sky, twinkling occasionally as if nothing had happened. It was as if he had just awoken from a vivid dream. The boy wasn't sure if what he saw was real, desperately shaking his head as if to shake off the fear, and ran like the wind back to the school.

---

In the void, an invisible spacecraft seamlessly blended into the night, overlooking the land below. This massive craft wasn't a military vessel but a specialized vehicle from an entertainment company. Inside, a figure stared down with a mix of disgust and regret.

"This beautiful blue eye is being destroyed by these greedy creatures," the voice was low and cold.

Suddenly, a mechanical voice crackled through the headset,"Caron, what's your location?"

"I've arrived at the designated spot," the figure replied impatiently.

"This is your second relocation this quarter," the mechanical voice coldly reminded,"I hope you get your act together. Your recent broadcasts have been unremarkable and haven't generated the wealth the boss expects. If you can't attract enough viewers, you'll be mining next quarter!" The voice was laced with threat and dissatisfaction.

The shadowed figure felt disheartened but then had a sudden idea,"What if I organize a game of hunting Earth natives, or a betting game, even a bloody slaughter game? That should attract a lot of betting capital!" The idea excited him, and he rubbed his hands together unconsciously.

Yet the authoritative and uncompromising voice, as cold as a winter wind, cut through his excitement:"I've told you countless times, we don't care what method you use as long as it brings wealth to the boss. If not…"

Caron responded dismissively,"Look forward to my good news!" He gazed at the village and school below, his eyes glinting with cold determination."The most popular thing right now is bloody betting games. Who would have thought I'd find a primitive planet? I hope you aren't too weak to last more than a few rounds!"

He swiftly manipulated the control panel, and the screen displayed red dots representing humans on Earth. The system provided precise data on the village's population density and activity range for his plan.

A silent game had begun. Soon, the screen was filled with small bettors attracted by the unfamiliar planet and unknown battle strengths.

"Now, let's start the first phase," he murmured,"Let's see what these natives are capable of!"

"We need some stimulants and activate the remote devices," he commanded. Several mini-drones silently left the spacecraft, heading toward the ground. They released black spores that floated down like dark snowflakes.

Deep within the pine forest, a pair of eerie green eyes slowly turned blood-red in the darkness. Their forms flickered in the moonlight, sometimes sharp like wolves, sometimes hazy like a dream. The tattered fur on their bodies became gradually visible, muscles rotting and dripping yellow fluid, producing a chilling, dripping sound as it hit the ground. As they drew closer, black flowers began to grow from their bodies, some with tightly closed buds, others fully bloomed, releasing black spores that spread like sinister smoke, drifting towards the next unfortunate creature.

Suddenly, a massive black wolf head lifted in a gruesome howl under the moonlight, tearing through the night's silence. Its bone-white teeth glinted, thirsting for the taste of blood. The blood-red eyes burned like torches, staring fixedly at the end of the forest path, where an unsuspecting figure seemed to be approaching.

These mutated giant wolves were not alone. They emerged one after another from the darkness like specters, their shapes twisting and elongating in the moonlight, as if they were fiends from hell. Their target tonight was unmistakable—the school.